Contributing Writer

Raptors vs. 76ers same-game parlay predictions Feb. 11: Back Barnes and Quickley in a losing effort

The Toronto Raptors take a four-game losing streak into a visit with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The pregame narrative: Philly is on a three-game skid, but I expect a comfortable win over a dismantled Toronto team. Despite that, I’m mixing in prop picks on two Raptors — Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley — to make this a +320 SGP.

Check out my Raptors vs. 76ers same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 11.

Raptors vs. 76ers predictions

Parlay: 76ers -4.5 | Barnes 8+ rebounds | Quickley 2+ threes (+320)

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76ers -4.5 (-265): The Raptors have struggled on the road with a 4-21 record and their injury report is crowded:

RJ Barrett (out)
Brandon Ingram (out)
Jakob Poeltl (out)
Gradey Dick (questionable)
Jonathan Mogbo (questionable)

For the 76ers, there’s a chance that Joel Embiid will miss Tuesday as the team plays in Brooklyn tomorrow. He only plays one half of back-to-backs so hopefully, he suits up at home tonight.

Even without its superstar, Philadelphia should have no problems led by Paul George and Tyrese Maxey.

Over the last 18 games, Maxey averaged 32.4 points per game on 48.8% shooting. With those stats, he’s more than ready to be the No. 1 scoring option.

The Raptors scored 87 points against the Houston Rockets last time out and I think another poor performance is in the script for Tuesday.

SGP legs

Barnes 8+ rebounds (-117): With Poeltl out and Mogbo potentially out, Toronto will be in dire need of some rebounding.

And in a good matchup, Barnes should be the one to step up and grab some extra boards.

The 76ers allow the sixth most rebounds to power forwards (10.9) per game, per Fantasy Pros. With all the injuries, Barnes could also see some time playing centre.

In his last outing against the Houston Rockets, Barnes had nine rebounds in a game that was played at a slow pace and finished with just 181 total points.

Quickley 2+ threes (-275): The next scoring option behind Barnes should be Quickley.

Against the Rockets, the sharpshooting guard had 20 points and took 15 shots. He hit 3-of-9 triples.

That’s exciting news because Quickley averages 11.8 shot attempts per game. He’s been riddled with injuries all year but it seems he’s shaping into form.

In his stint with Toronto following the trade deadline last season, he averaged 18.6 PPG and hit 2.8 threes per game.

Picks made at 10:20 a.m. ET 02/11/2025

Champions League round of 16 picks and predictions: Bet on Bayern Munich, PSG in first leg of playoffs

Eight teams play for the four remaining spots in the Champions League Round of 16.

The pregame narrative: Bayern Munich’s offence was firing on all cylinders during the league phase and I’m betting on that to continue against an inferior opponent. I also have a pick on PSG in its match against fellow French side Brest.

Check out the best Champions League predictions for the Round of 16 playoff.

Champions League predictions

Go to full Champions League betting markets.

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Best Bet: Bayern Munich over 2.5 goals (-109)

Despite finishing in a playoff position, Bayern Munich arguably has the best offence in the Champions League to this point.

Here are some of their offensive statistics and where they rank, per Fotmob:

22.5 xG (1st)
8.6 shots on target/game (1st)
41 big chances (1st)
2.5 goals/game (t-3rd)

Unfortunately, the side ranks tied for first in big chances missed (23) explaining why they fall short of the top-scoring offence.

However, Celtic is a team that provides an enticing matchup for this offence. The Scottish side allowed 13.4 xG which ranks in the bottom half of the UCL.

The Bhoys have done a good job beating the lower-tier squads to make it to this point but they’ve struggled against Europe’s elite.

They’re coming off a 4-2 loss against Aston Villa and were battered 7-1 by another German giant Borussia Dortmund back in October.

Key stat: Across all competitions, Bayern has scored three-plus goals in eight of its last 12 matches.

Quick pick

PSG -1.5 (-109): Two French sides meet in the first match of the Round of 16 playoff round.

In Ligue 1, we’ve seen this fixture recently. On Feb. 1, PSG easily beat Brest, 5-2.

This is nothing new as the Paris club has dominated its head-to-head record vs. its counterpart.

PSG covered this spread in both matches with Brest this season and has won 18 of the 20 meetings between these clubs. The other two games ended in draws.

Les Parisiens have won five of their last six matches by two-plus goals including a dominant 4-2 win over Manchester City in a UCL league phase fixture on Jan. 22.

Picks made at 3:20 p.m. on 02/10/25.

Champions League round of 16 picks and predictions: Bet on Bayern Munich, PSG in first leg of playoffs

Eight teams play for the four remaining spots in the Champions League Round of 16.

The pregame narrative: Bayern Munich’s offence was firing on all cylinders during the league phase and I’m betting on that to continue against an inferior opponent. I also have a pick on PSG in its match against fellow French side Brest.

Check out the best Champions League predictions for the Round of 16 playoff.

Champions League predictions

Go to full Champions League betting markets.

Best Bet: Bayern Munich over 2.5 goals (+100)

Despite finishing in a playoff position, Bayern Munich arguably has the best offence in the Champions League to this point.

Here are some of their offensive statistics and where they rank, per Fotmob:

22.5 xG (1st)
8.6 shots on target/game (1st)
41 big chances (1st)
2.5 goals/game (t-3rd)

Unfortunately, the side ranks tied for first in big chances missed (23) explaining why they fall short of the top-scoring offence.

However, Celtic is a team that provides an enticing matchup for this offence. The Scottish side allowed 13.4 xG which ranks in the bottom half of the UCL.

The Bhoys have done a good job beating the lower-tier squads to make it to this point but they’ve struggled against Europe’s elite.

They’re coming off a 4-2 loss against Aston Villa and were battered 7-1 by another German giant Borussia Dortmund back in October.

Key stat: Across all competitions, Bayern has scored three-plus goals in eight of its last 12 matches.

Quick pick

PSG -1 (-118): Two French sides meet in the first match of the Round of 16 playoff round.

In Ligue 1, we’ve seen this fixture recently. On Feb. 1, PSG easily beat Brest, 5-2.

This is nothing new as the Paris club has dominated its head-to-head record vs. its counterpart.

PSG covered this spread in both matches with Brest this season and has won 18 of the 20 meetings between these clubs. The other two games ended in draws.

Les Parisiens have won five of their last six matches by two-plus goals including a dominant 4-2 win over Manchester City in a UCL league phase fixture on Jan. 22.

Picks made at 3:20 p.m. on 02/10/25.

Jazz vs. Lakers same-game parlay predictions Feb. 10: Bet on Kessler be active on the boards, Doncic to shine in debut

All eyes will be on Luka Doncic as he makes his debut for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Utah Jazz.

The pregame narrative: I expect a big performance out of Doncic in his first game as a Laker. I’m taking the over on his points prop mixed with a pick on Walker Kessler and Lakers ATS in this +300 SGP.

Check out my Jazz vs. Lakers same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 10.

Jazz vs. Lakers predictions

Parlay: Lakers -8.5 | Doncic 27+ points | Kessler 10+ rebounds (+300)

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Lakers -8.5 (-225): Without LeBron James and Doncic active on Saturday, the Lakers handled business at home, beating the Indiana Pacers 124-117.

L.A. is on an impressive five-game win streak with big victories against the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks along the way.

It covered this spread in three of those five games and gets a soft matchup against the Jazz.

Utah is a dreadful 7-21 on the road. Meanwhile, the Lakers have one of the better home records in the NBA at 18-6.

Even if LeBron were to miss his second straight contest, I believe the Lakers will win big on Monday.

SGP legs

Doncic 27+ points (-132): My whole sports brain tells me Luka will go off in his first game in a Lakers uniform.

His departure from the Dallas Mavericks wasn’t the prettiest. He was unexpectedly traded before his conditioning was put into question by the Mavericks’ management and the NBA media.

Doncic has been the victim of injuries this season and it resulted in the superstar averaging under 30 points (28.1) for the first time since 2021-22.

He also gets a prime matchup to get back up to speed.

The Jazz give up the third most points to point guards (25.8), per Fantasy Pros. They also own the second-worst defensive rating (120.3).

Expect Doncic to remind everyone why he should have never been traded.

Kessler 10+ rebounds (-226): With the Lakers’ trade to acquire Mark Williams falling through, the squad still has a serious hole at the centre position.

Jaxon Hayes, who averages 17.8 minutes a night, has been forced into the starting role. That’s not something he’s used to during his career.

Hayes is serviceable but there’s a clear advantage for opposing bigs at the rim and Kessler is the gold standard for under-the-basket centres.

He has 10-plus rebounds in 12 of his last 14 games. He is also coming off a 22-rebound performance over the Phoenix Suns.

Kessler is averaging a double-double (11.2 PPG, 11.9 RPG) this season and has played 33 or more minutes in four consecutive games.

Picks made at 11:20 a.m. ET 02/10/2025

Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers same-game parlay predictions Feb. 10: Back Mitchell and Edwards at +350

The red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves head east to face the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The pregame narrative: Anthony Edwards is a man on a mission right now and I want in on the action. I’m backing the Wolves’ superstar to hit four-plus threes in this +350 SGP that includes a pick on Donovan Mitchell.

Check out my Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 10.

Timberwolves vs. Cavaliers predictions

Parlay: Timberwolves +13.5 | Edwards 4+ threes | Mitchell 25+ points (+350)

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Timberwolves +13.5 (-205): For the first two legs of this parlay, it is important to note that Edwards is questionable with a hip injury that held him out of Saturday’s contest with the Portland Trail Blazers.

It was considered a ‘precaution’ by head coach Chris Finch so I have a good feeling he’ll suit up on Monday.

Without Edwards, Minnesota had no issues disposing of Portland, 114-98. Overall, the Timberwolves are 8-2 in their last 10 and have soared up to sixth in the West with a 30-23 record.

Since Jan. 6, the Wolves are 13-6 and have covered this lofty spread in every contest.

This is as tough as it gets against the Eastern Conference’s best home team (24-4) but buying points for added insurance gives this leg extra backing.

I’m predicting Minnesota will keep things competitive in its ongoing pursuit of a better playoff seeding.

SGP legs

Edwards 4+ threes (-143): It would be a shame if Ant were to be ruled out for a second straight contest because the man is torching defences right now.

Over his last 18 games, he’s averaging:

32.3 points
4.5 made 3s
44.0 3PT%

He’s cashed this wager in 11 of those contests and I could easily see Edwards clearing his 30.5-point total.

However, taking his 3s prop instead covers the type of performance he had against Cleveland on Jan. 18.

In that game, Edwards made four triples and finished with 28 points.

Mitchell 25+ points (-106): The Cavaliers’ primary scorer is averaging his lowest PPG (24.0) since 2019-20 — but it’s not because of bad play.

Cleveland often wins by large margins, meaning Mitchell is playing the fewest minutes of his career (31.3 MPG).

But considering I expect this game to be close, I like his chances of having a big performance.

In the seven-point win over the Timberwolves on Jan. 18, Mitchell scored 36 points on 12-of-27 shooting (44.4%) — a below-average night in terms of efficiency.

But the uptick in minutes (33) allowed the dynamic guard to get enough shots up to easily clear this point total.

In games in which Mitchell played 33-plus minutes this season, he’s averaging 27.3 PPG.

Picks made at 11:20 a.m. ET 02/10/2025

EPL Matchday 25 schedule, odds: Manchester United visits Tottenham to headline weekend

Tottenham and Manchester United headline a busy weekend in the English Premier League.

The latest: The final match of the weekend includes two underperforming English giants. Along the way, Chelsea looks to hold its spot in the standings and Arsenal aims to move one step closer to the EPL leaders, Liverpool.

Check out the latest Premier League schedule for Matchday 25.

Premier League schedule: Matchday 25

Go to full Premier League betting markets

Brighton vs. Chelsea

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Leicester City vs. Arsenal

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West Ham vs. Brentford

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Southampton vs. AFC Bournemouth

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Manchester City vs. Newcastle United

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Fulham vs. Nottingham Forest

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Aston Villa vs. Ipswitch Town

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Crystal Palace vs. Everton

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Liverpool vs. Wolves

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Tottenham vs. Manchester United

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Betting insights

Brighton and Chelsea kick off the weekend with the lone match on Friday. The Blues are currently in a Champions League position, holding down the fourth spot on the table with 43 points. Man City is hot on their heels so a win against Brighton on the road would be huge in their quest to secure UCL soccer next season.

Speaking of Manchester City, the side is heating up. It picked up points in six straight (4 W, 2 D) before getting thrashed 5-1 by Arsenal during Matchday 24. The Citizens play a marquee match with Real Madrid in the UCL playoff round on Wednesday before facing Newcastle on Saturday. The two teams are tied for fifth in the table (41 points) so one side could separate itself with a huge win.

Arsenal continues to chase Liverpool who currently hold a six-point lead atop the Premier League standings. The Gunners have a prime spot to grab a win as a -375 favourite over the relegation likely Leceister City. It would be their 15th straight game picking up points.

Tottenham and Manchester United battle in the second game of two on Sunday. Neither side is having a good season and they sit 14th and 13th in the standings. The Hotspur are 1-0-4 in their last five EPL games but had a 1-0 win over Liverpool in a cup game in early January so a big performance is always possible.

The Red Devils are not where fans hoped they would be heading into the late portion of the season but there is some positive news. Man U is 2-2-1 in the last five EPL matches, including a draw against Liverpool. There’s no world where this side wins the EPL but some positive results have kept the side well out of relegation talks.

76ers vs. Bucks same-game parlay predictions Feb. 9: Take overs on Damian Lillard and Tyrese Maxey at +290

The Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks headline a small three-game NBA Sunday slate.

The pregame narrative: Both starting point guards, Damian Lillard and Tyrese Maxey, have a strong history against their Sunday opponent. I’m backing both players in this +290 SGP that includes a pick on the 76ers to round it out.

Check out my 76ers vs. Bucks same-game parlay predictions for Feb. 9.

76ers vs. Bucks predictions

Parlay: 76ers moneyline | Lillard 3+ threes | Maxey 29+ points (+290)

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76ers moneyline (-118): The Bucks will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo on Sunday and that has me seriously concerned for their chances.

Milwaukee is 4-5 this season without Giannis with three of the four wins coming against teams near the bottom of the Eastern Conference (Hornets, Bulls, Wizards).

On the other side, Joel Embiid has a chance to play Sunday and the 76ers are 7-2 in the last nine games with their superstar active.

With Paul George back in the mix as well, I’ll take my chances with what is hopefully a healthy 76ers side.

SGP legs

Lillard 3+ threes (-278): With Giannis out on Friday, Lillard canned 4-of-13 triples and was one rebound short of a triple-double vs. the Atlanta Hawks.

He will once again be the clear focal point on offence tonight. Even with his teammate in the rotation, Lillard’s been effective against this line this season.

He makes 3.4 threes on 9.0 attempts per game (37.7%).

Lillard has surpassed this mark in 28/42 games (66.7%).

In two meetings with the 76ers, the sharpshooting point guard made 10 total threes and comfortably cashed this wager in both contests.

Maxey 29+ points (-143): In today’s NBA prop bets, I picked Maxey to go over his 29.5-point total. But for this parlay, I’ll buy down a point for some extra insurance.

Over the last 17 games, he’s cleared this 14 times. He scored 27 points on Friday and that was somehow his lowest total over that span.

On Jan. 19, Maxey torched the Bucks, scoring 37 points on 14-of-28 shooting. He also hit 6-of-15 threes in a dominant performance.

It’s not too surprising because the Milwaukee Bucks allow the most points per game to PGs (26.7), per Fantasy Pros.

Picks made at 1:20 p.m. ET 02/09/2025

Best NBA prop bets Feb. 9: Bet on LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Maxey on Sunday

Before the Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday, there’s afternoon basketball and I have two prop bets from the action.

The pregame narrative: LaMelo Ball picked up right where he left off in his return to action on Feb. 7. I’m buying in and backing him to stuff the stat sheet again. I also have a pick on Tyrese Maxey.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Feb. 9.

Best NBA prop bets

Best bet: Ball over 34.5 points/assists (-115)

This is a hefty line but with Ball’s 35.7% usage rate (second in the NBA behind Joel Embiid), he can easily clear this total on any given night.

The dynamic point guard missed five games but returned to play the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and recorded 34 points/assists in a normal 36-minute workload.

Ball shot 9-of-26 (34.6%) from the floor and saw himself at the free-throw line a measly two times en route to 24 points.

Those stats are below average for Ball, who scores 28.0 points on 41.6% shooting and attempts 5.4 FTs per game.

Slightly better efficiency or a few more trips to the line would’ve done the trick on Friday and I expect a better performance tonight.

Key stat: In his last game vs. the Pistons on Nov. 21, Ball had 35 points and nine assists (44 PR).

Quick pick

Maxey over 28.5 points (-125): This is quite the line but I still want in.

Maxey has been torching opposing defences, averaging 32.1 PPG since Jan. 6.

In that 17-game span, he’s cleared this 14 times. It’s also worth noting that the fewest points he’s scored in a game during this run is 27 and it was on Friday.

I’m expecting a huge bounce-back effort — if you can call it that — vs. the Milwaukee Bucks who allow the most points per game to PGs (26.7).

Picks made at 8:41 a.m. ET on 02/09/2025.

Best NBA prop bets Feb. 9: Bet on LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Maxey on Sunday

Before the Super Bowl kicks off on Sunday, there’s afternoon basketball and I have three prop bets from the action.

The pregame narrative: LaMelo Ball picked up right where he left off in his return to action on Feb. 7. I’m buying in and backing him to stuff the stat sheet again. I also have picks on Jalen Duren and Tyrese Maxey.

Check out the best NBA prop bets for Feb. 9.

Best NBA prop bets

Best bet: Ball over 39.5 points/rebounds/assists (-115)

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This is a hefty line but with Ball’s 35.7% usage rate (second in the NBA behind Joel Embiid), he can easily clear this total on any given night.

The dynamic point guard missed five games but returned to play the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and recorded 38 points/rebounds/assists in a normal 36-minute workload.

Ball shot 9-of-26 (34.6%) from the floor and saw himself at the free-throw line a measly two times en route to 24 points.

Those stats are below average for Ball, who scores 28.0 points on 41.6% shooting and attempts 5.4 FTs per game.

Slightly better efficiency or a few more trips to the line would’ve done the trick on Friday and I expect a better performance tonight.

Key stat: In his last game vs. the Pistons on Nov. 21, Ball had 35 points, six rebounds and nine assists (50 PRAs).

Quick picks

Duren to record a double-double (-109): In just 19 minutes of action on Friday, Duren had 13 points and 13 rebounds against the Philadelphia 76ers.

It was the big man’s 22nd double-double of the season and his 10th in the last 12 games.

During that time, he’s averaging:

14.5 points
12.1 rebounds
72.2 FG%
27.5 minutes

All of those numbers are up from his season averages. It appears Duren is earning the trust of head coach J.B. Bickerstaff as he progresses in his second year in the NBA.

And tonight, he has a rather soft matchup against the Charlotte Hornets. They allow the eight-most points and sixth-most rebounds to centres, per Fantasy Pros.

Maxey over 29.5 points (-112): This is quite the line but I still want in.

Maxey has been torching opposing defences, averaging 32.1 PPG since Jan. 6.

In that 17-game span, he’s cleared this 11 times. It’s also worth noting that the fewest points he’s scored in a game during this run is 27 and it was on Friday.

I’m expecting a huge bounce-back effort — if you can call it that — vs. the Milwaukee Bucks who allow the most points per game to PGs (26.7).

Picks made at 8:41 a.m. ET on 02/09/2025.

Super Bowl 59 MVP picks: Saquon Barkley has value, Xavier Worthy a notable long shot

One of the most sought-after Super Bowl bets is who’s going to win MVP so here’s my insight.

The pregame narrative Saquon Barkley has been a wrecking ball for the Philadephia Eagles and one more other-worldly performance is well within the realm of possibilities. I like the value on Jalen Hurts, too, as well as Xavier Worthy for the Kansas City Chiefs due to his big-play ability.

Check out my Super Bowl MVP picks below.

Super Bowl MVP picks

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Best bet: Barkley to win MVP (+250)

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Barkley rushed for 2,000 yards this season and had a plethora of MVP-calibre performances. Here are a couple of recent examples:

Divisional round vs. Rams: 205 rush yards, 2 TDs
Week 16 vs. Commanders: 150 rush yards, 2 TDs

Most recently, he logged 118 yards on 15 carries with three TDs vs. the Washington Commanders in the NFC conference championship.

Those are just a few of the monstrous performances Barkley put up over the season but it illustrates how dominant he can be while the Eagles continue to win games.

Since Week 7, Barkey has rushed for 100-plus yards in 12 of 14 games while adding 15 scores.

He has five TDs in two playoff games and would surely record big numbers if the Eagles were to win as the slight underdog.

Key stat: The last two running backs to win SB MVP (Terrell Davis, Emmitt Smith) averaged 30 carries, 144.5 yards (4.8 YPC) and 2.5 TDs. All of those numbers are within Barkley’s capabilities.

Quick picks

Hurts to win MVP (+300): Like Barkley, Hurts had three rushing touchdowns against the Commanders in the conference championship.

He is the biggest threat to steal scores away from Barkley near the goal-line so this pick is partially a hedge. I also can’t see any other Eagle outperforming these two if Philly were to win.

Hurts turned 19 goal-line carries into 11 TDs during the regular season and has found the end zone in two of three playoff games.

It may be recency bias but if Hurts were to replicate his performance from Jan. 26 (20/28 passing, 246 yards, 1 TD, 3 rush TDs) it would be hard to see anyone else winning this award.

Worthy to win MVP (+5,000): The more logical pick on the Kansas City side is Patrick Mahomes (+100) as he’s won three of the past five Super Bowl MVPs.

But I decided to take the long-shot approach and back the Chiefs’ most explosive offensive threat.

Worthy showed out for KC against the Buffalo Bills, recording six receptions, 101 scrimmage yards and a TD.

I’m well prepared for a low-scoring game between two of the NFL’s elite defences and if that were the case it would open the door for a long-shot option to steal the MVP award with one or two game-deciding plays.

The other way to go would be backing a defensive player but I have faith the rookie can make his mark in the big game.

NFL picks made at 2:14 p.m. on 01/27/25.